On Saturday, May 16, 2020 at 4:55:28 PM UTC-7, wrote:
OK, I need to get out in front of the "reuse of tape" thing before I get hammered here. I've taken too much grief from other pilots over the years, and not just from the ones who "helpfully" removed my tape during derigging and balled it up, eliciting an agonized groan from me.

I've been reusing tape since at least the mid 70s. I buy fairly inexpensive white electrical tape and apply it new early in the season: nothing special except I use two pieces per wing panel, one on top and one on the bottom so the strips are of manageable size. Thereafter, I peel the tape off, then lay it down flat on the interior of the Cobra trailer sidewall. MUCH easier than wrapping it around a beer can or putting it back on a roll of tape.. Nearly everyone wants to smooth it down very lightly so as not to wear out the adhesive.

Wrong. On every brand I've used, the trick is to smooth it down almost as firmly as you would on the wing/tail. The main places the adhesive can get tired are in the inch or two at each end where your fingers touch it. That's also where lightly applied tape flips up and attracts dust.

It's usually good for a dozen flights at least. It stretches, so over time I'll snip off an inch or two from each end (thereby solving the problem of weak adhesive). Really hot weather (Uvalde, Cordele) are a little tougher on it, I'll admit; it may "creep" a little more than brand new tape. Colder weather affects the adhesive, too, but if I'm careful, it doesn't lift up..

How much money do I save? I have no idea. I use less than one small roll each season so by the time I go to stock up again, I've forgotten what I paid last time.

It's eco friendly. And honestly, I think my taping goes a bit faster: all the strips are pre-cut. Just peel them off and stick them on, no cutting required.

The select club of pilots who reuse tape already know this stuff. The rest of you can scoff.

Chip Bearden
JB

Thank you for helping me feel much better about my situation. I now know that since I can afford cheap tape fresh each day, I am actually doing pretty well.